Authorities in Jamaica have asked the public to stop sharing social media messages claiming an American woman was abducted there and said Sunday that she is “not and never has been in any danger”. “
The woman, Kalina Collier, tested positive for the coronavirus when she arrived in Jamaica and was placed in isolation, in accordance with the country’s Covid-19 prevention protocols. Jamaican authorities said.
Police visited her on Saturday and determined “she is not and has never been in any danger”, the Jamaica Constabulary Force said in a statement on Sunday.
Authorities are warning people not to share social media posts and claim Collier was abducted, adding that sharing false information could be a violation.
“The police claim that the information is unfounded and misguided,” he said.
Many people used the hat brand #KalinaCollier and alleges that she was abducted or wanted against her.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force said Sunday that Collier “remains in isolation and is awaiting medical clearance” to return home.
Representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Jamaican Tourism Board and local police were in contact with her mother who was traveling to Jamaica, authorities said.
Collier was expected to fly out of Jamaica on Sunday after her 14-day quarantine, reports The Gleaner.
Collier did not immediately return a request for an interview on Monday.
In a statement posted on her Instagram account, she writes: ‘I said a long time ago that I was never missing, nor was I abducted.
“I tried to remain silent, because it is something that will be handled legally and because the reaction to my situation was completely overwhelming,” she wrote, adding that after the hotel tested negative for Covid-19, “tracks as soon as the word came out and forced me to stay at the resort for the rest of my ‘quarantine’. “
It is unclear what negative test she is referring to.
She claims she was “harassed by the hotel to make a statement, to save face for them” and that it ‘seems like everything I said was a lie’.
Collier said she previously shared her experience on Instagram Live. It’s unclear what she said during Instagram Live.
“I understand that I went to seek help directly, but my story is now starting to be told to me and I will not have it,” she wrote.
Her statement concluded: “The evidence is in the pudding and I have nothing further to say about this situation. For those who were actually concerned, thank you.”
According to the Covid-19 dashboard of the government, Jamaica reported 18,232 cases and 362 deaths.
